


Reflections

by isitsuperfly



Category: Sex Education (TV)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:13:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27270250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isitsuperfly/pseuds/isitsuperfly
Summary: Ending of senior year at Moordale..
Relationships: Otis Milburn/Maeve Wiley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 52





	1. The Last Tear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otis's poems: chapters 1-4.

_Moordale, Senior year, ending days_

It's a sunny morning.

Summer is beginning to kick in. 

Last days of the school year. 

For some people there are the last days at Moordale. 

The auditorium of Moordale is full of people. 

Otis comes up the stars and stays in the centre of the stage. 

There's a microphone in front of his body. 

In front of him, he can see all his classmates, the students of _Moordale_ , parents, teachers.

Everyone is clapping their hands to welcome him. 

His mother is next to the stage.

She is in the first of the rows the school has selected for parents. And also she had been, after all, another member of the school, as a sex therapist teaching the adolescents, and even if it was not for so long, she had left a mark on some of them. Jean helped them and understood them. And that was worth it.

He was so proud of her. He hopes she will like his surpise for her that he would be reading in a few moments. 

Otis can see his mother's smile. Jean looks so proud. Her blue eyes are shining.

Otis can feel himself getting emotional when he thinks he sees his mother's eyes getting glassy.

He loves his mother so much. 

Otis appreciates his mother so much, he is not sure he can put it into words how much his mother means to him. He will try to.

How much he adores his mother.

The one who had been with him all his life,, not matter what, taking care of him and making sure he was okay. 

Otis is going to make sure he is there for his mother all the time.

He wants his mother to be okay.

Then, another hand takes Jean's hand. Next to her is Jakob, smiling to her. Jeans squeezes Jakob's hand in return, turning briefly to him to smile back at him. Otis smiles to himself. He hopes for the best of them. He wants his mother to be happy and okay, and if Jakob helps to that, Otis can't ask for more. 

In front of Jean and Jakob there's a baby cart. 

Otis can't see his little brother from when he is on the stage, but he's sure he's sleeping peacefully, not knowing that his big brother was ending high school, not knowing that his big brother loved him with all his heart, and not knowing that his big brother will always protect him. 

Otis smiles to himself again. 

Then, Eric catches his eyes and smiles at him.

Otis smiles back at his best friend.

Eric looks so excited for him, Otis almost laughs. 

Eric raises his eyebrows and gives him the okay sign with his thumbs.

Otis absolutely adores his best friend Eric.

He is so glad he has Eric in his life.

And he had been for so many years now, and he wishes for many more and he wants that to never change in his life. 

He feels so lucy to have Eric, such great human being in his life.

Eric, his best friend. 

Eric, so kind, so cool, so brave, so great.

He loves him a whole lot. And he doesn't want to loose him, ever.

He wouldn't be the same without Eric. They have been friends for so many years and he hopes, wishes and is sure they will be best friends all their lives. He wouldn't want it any other way. 

Otis smiles at Eric as he continues to give him okay signs with his hands. Otis almost laughs again.

He blinks and then his eyes are only for her. His girl. His love. His friend. The girl of his dreams. His soulmate.

Maeve. 

She had a smile as sweet as honey and her eyes, even from the distance of her seat in the crowd, were tender and full of love for him. She looked proud and happy. She had raised her hands and she had crossed them in front of her and had put them against her mouth, as she was trying to contain her emotions.

She was beautiful.

Maeve was so beautiful, so stunning, so brave, so strong, so inspiring for him.

He was grateful to have her and her love for him. 

Otis loved Maeve with everything he was and with everything he had.

He was in love with her for so long. And he was sure he will forever and always would love her. 

Nothing will change his love for her. 

They both shared something so special, so magical, so profound, so intense and so deep, they were lucky to live it.

He would never let her go.

She was the one for him.

They have found each other. 

They will always take care of each other.

Soulmates. 

They loved each other. And they will always will. 

And nothing could drive them apart. 

Two pieces of a same piece.

Otis feels his heart burst with love at the sign of Maeve. Her eyes are on him and he is sure she is happy for him right now. 

He smiled to the audience.

The applause ended and then the headmaster gave him permission to read his poems.

He had four. 

He cleared his throat and approached the microphone.

A silence appeared in the room. Everyone looked at him.

He could feel Maeve's look on him, loving and warm on him, giving him strength and confidence.

Maeve always gave him confidence and she made him feel loved, wanted, valued. 

She was so stunning in every sense of the word. He felt so lucky to be with her. He wanted to give her everything. He had loved her for so long, with such intense love. And she had returned it.

He felt like he was dancing a dream.

Oh, how he loved her!

Eternally will love her. 

So he isn't nervous anymore.

He feels calm and controlled.

His own heart beats against his ribs in a peaceful rhythm. 

Otis began talking, "Thank you. My name is Otis. Umm...For my last final work for Literature class, I've written some poems. 4 poems to be exact. They are like reflections. They are very personal for me. They are about some things that changed me and my life since these past two years. Things about how I became more mature, how I discovered new things, experimented new things for me... They came from my heart so...".

Otis made a pause. "Okay...".

Suddenly, he got shy. He was going to reveal such deep feelings in front of all these people.

He heard soft laughs, people could saw his shyness. 

Then his eyes set on Maeve, to feel her energy, he can feel it even from miles apart, and who her eyes were always on him.

He looks at his mother and Eric to reassure himself.

A tender small smile appears on Otis's lips. His nerves calm down. 

He took a deep breath and began reading his first poem. 

"My firt poem is called 'The Last Tear'". He says. 

Then, he continues reading it all.

" _THE LAST TEAR_

_Your words stabbed my heart, and I cried tears of pain. "Get out!" I shouted._

_"These are the last tears I'll ever cry for you." So you left._

_I waited hours, but you didn't return._

_That night by myself I cried tears of frustration._

_I waited weeks, but you had nothing to say. Thinking of your voice, I cried tears of loneliness._

  
_I waited months, but you left no sign for me. In the depths of my heart, I cried tears of despair._

_How strange that all these tears could not wash away the hurt!_

_Then one thought of love pierced my bitterness. I remembered you in the sunlight, with a smile as sweet as May wine._

_A tear of gratitude started to fall, and miraculously, you were back._

_Soft fingers touched my cheek, and bent over for a kiss._  
_"Why have you come?" I whispered._  
_"To wipe away your last tear," you replied, "It was the one you saved for me."_

Almost out of breath, his feelings cascading in his heart, he finishes reading his first poem. 

There's a brief silence.

The commotion of his words still hanging in the air. 

Then, everyone stands up and began clapping. 

Otis looks at Maeve and she is already up in her feet. He can see tears in Maeve's eyes as she looks at him. She has a few tears running down her cheeks. But he knows she is okay. Those are emotional tears, not from pain anymore. Not his pain. Not her pain. Not their pain. Not for him and not for her. And not for them. 

They have gone through a lot of things, they have gone through so much, but they made it. They did it. 

They have overcome their fears, insecurities, and sometimes very stupid arguments. 

They have made it through the darkness. 

And now, they are finally in the light. 

After two hard years. 

She looks emotional, as she claps her hands for him. Otis looks at her and he mouths "I love you" to her. He is not sure she can see him, but when she stops her applause and she puts her hand in her chest, just above where her heart is, he knows she understood him. She tells him without words that she loves him too.

Otis smiles to Maeve and she smiles back at him through her tears. 

His mother is standing as she looks at him. Jean looks so proud of him that makes Otis smile and his heart jump. She stops clapping to raise her fingers to her eyes. She looks about to cry. Jakob puts his arm around Jean's shoulders and she leans into him smiling up at Otis.

Eric is clapping too. He is standing on his feet too. He is smiling widely at him and he is looking proud of him. He is clapping so hard and fast, Otis almost laughs again. Eric raises his hands above his head. Otis smiles at him, comforted by his big enthusiasm.

Otis smiles at the audience and looks down suddenly embarrased at all this attention at him. 

He raises his hands and comes closer to the mic to talk again, "Thank you." His voice sounds soft. 

The applause ends. 

"I still have another 3 poems." He continues saying, chuckling a little. He didn't mean it as a joke but it comes out something like that.

There are a few laughs in the audience. 

Otis looks at the headmaster for permission to continue reading.

It is given. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otis and Maeve are both 18.


	2. Two Birds

_Moordale, last days, senior year_

The headmaster gives Otis the permission to continue reading his poems. 

The crowd sit back in their seats. Some of them still are commenting with each other. 

He nods, looking at his most important people in the crowd. 

These reflections and poems are very personal to him. 

Many things have happened in the past two years.

Writing was a way of therapy. Maeve had thaught him this. 

Writing was like catching a leave that falls from a tree. 

Many things they have lived. 

His mother had another son. 

He had a much better relationship with his mother. 

And she was such an incredible person.

She was such a wonderful mother. 

He appreciated his mother so much. 

Otis was always going to make sure to be there for her anytime. 

And he had a brother now. 

And well, Otis and his father had a better relationship. 

Remi had been trying hard to be there for his son when he never was before. 

Otis was glad things were changing in this aspect. He had for so long wished for his father to be by his side and his mother, and Remi had not been a great father all along. 

He had felt abandoned by his father but Otis was willing to forgive him and try to make his bond with his father better and stronger.

He wanted to know his father better.

Otis wanted to have his father being a father finally. 

But Otis was willing to forgive him and give him another chance. 

Jakob and Jean were together. 

Ola was his half sister now? It did sound a bit strange and weird to think about it. But he was comfortable now. After all, Otis and Ola only had a few silly innocent kisses, some forced teenage thing, and nothing more. Otis never have loved Ola. And she the same. They were over this. They have never loved each other in that way, romantically. So it was okay. 

Eric was the same great guy as always.

They have been there for each other, Eric and Otis, in every moment they needed each other. 

Otis never wanted to loose Eric. 

His best friend as it always had been. And will always be. 

Otis wanted to make sure having Eric as his best friend friend that he will keep for the rest of his life.

And that was amazing. 

And Maeve. 

Beautiful Maeve. 

He and Maeve loved each other so much. 

They were so in love, a love that run so deep, a love so intense. 

They loved each other very much.

Otis knew that he and Maeve were soulmates. 

A very rare thing: it's like two souls meet into another. 

That girl who had stuck under his skin. 

That girl who he loved so much he couldn't forget her ever. 

They both have been through so much things, ups and downs but luckily they made it.

Rough waters, hard patches, arguments, stupid angers over stupid things. 

But they have finally found home. 

They made each other better.

Not matter what they will stay together. 

That didn't mean they wouldn't ever get mad, or angry or have an argument but those things could be fixed. Is a thing worth fighting for. They will have each other. 

They have found their own place of heaven. 

Otis clears his throat. 

"Thank you." Otis says.

"My next poem is called 'Two Birds'". Otis continues. 

He takes another deep breath, and reads it all. 

_"TWO BIRDS_

_It's hard to tell them what I feel for you._

_They haven't ever met you, and not everyone has your picture._

_So how can they ever understand your mystery?_

_Let's give them a clue:_

  
_Two birds sit in a tree._

_One eats cherries, while the other looks on._

_Two birds fly through the air._

  
_One's song drops like crystal from the sky while the other keeps silent._

_Two birds wheel in the sun._

_One catches the light on its silver feathers, while the other spreads wings of invisibility._

  
_It's easy to guess which bird I am, but they'll never find you._

_Unless..._

  
_Unless they already know a love that never interferes, that watches from beyond, that breathes free in the invisible air._

_Sweet bird, my soul, your silence is so precious._

_How long will it be before the world hears your song in mine?_

  
_Oh, that is a day I hunger for!"_

Otis finishes reading his reflection. 

Like the time before, everyone stands up and claps again. 

Some cheers are heard on the crowd. 

The noise of clapping sounds in the room. 

Some people even look moved. 

Otis smiles timidly, back up from the microphone and closes his eyes for a second. 

The lights are bright.

He sees his mother Jean looking proud, a pleased smile on her lips, as her eyes locked in him.

He sees Eric already up in his feet, his white teeth showing in a big smile, as he claps hard and gives him whistles with his mouth. 

And he sees Maeve, on her feet, her eyes bright. Otis can see tears in her eyes. She looks so emotional, so touched by his words. Her hands are clapping, a sweet smile on her face. She wets her lips, as her hands raise to her eyes to wipe a few happy tears. She blows him a soft kiss before she realizes what she's doing. Her hair catching the light of the room. He can't stop thinking of how beautiful she is and how he wants to gives her a kiss.

"Thank you very much." Otis says again to the crowd. 

The crowd in the room finishes their big applause and some cheers for Otis are heard in the room.

Otis gets shy at how good everyone is liking his work.

"Continue, Otis." Says the headmaster, giving him permission to follow with the next work of his. 

"Okay, thank you." He says again. "Here I go with the next poem."


	3. I You We

_Moordale, last days, senior year_

Otis, with the image of Maeve, who he was in love with, in his head and his love for her in his heart, starts to read his another one more reflection today dedicated to her. 

Maeve, so beautiful. 

Beautiful Maeve.

He thought Maeve was so smart, so brave, so beautiful, so strong.

Otis couldn't imagine two years ago that he would be with Maeve, this stunning person in every way, and not only that but that his deep intense feelings of love would be returned, just as same, on her part. 

_'These are going to be the best two years of our lives.'_ Eric had told him that sunny early morning. 

Otis thought of all the moments that he had lived in the past two years: ones of joy, ones of sadness. But all of them have been an education, a learning. All of them were needed.

Otis smiled to himself. 

Yes, there had been good and awful things on these last two years. 

But one thing he could say is that he had learned and experienced a lot. 

"My next poem is called 'I you we'", Otis says. 

_"I YOU WE_

  
_I said you had to think about it._

_You said you didn't want to._

_We talked about it, and we agreed that maybe I could help._

  
_I said you were wrong._

_You insisted you were right._

_We held each other's hand, and right and wrong disappeared._

  
_I began crying._

_You began crying, too._

_We embraced, and between us grew a flower of peace._

  
_How I love this mystery called We!_

_Where does it come from, out of thin air?_

  
_I thought about this mystery, and I realized something: We must be love's favorite child, because until I reach out for you, We is not even there._

_It arrives on the wings of tenderness: it speaks through our silent understanding._

_When I laugh at myself, it smiles._

_When you forgive me it grows like a flower that blossoms under the sunlight._

_When I forgive you, it dances in jubilation._

  
_So We is not a choice anymore, not if you and I want to grow with one another._

_We unites us, increases our strength; it picks up our burden when you and I are ready to let it fall._

_The truth is that you and I may would have given up long ago, but We won't let us. It is too wise._

_"Look into your hearts," it says. "What do you see? Not you and I, but only We.""_

Otis finishes reading it.

He feels a little embarrassed to read in front of all the people to reveal such intimate deep feelings, and most about the girl he was in love with, Maeve. 

But suddenly again the loud sound of his heartbeats are once again drowned by the big applause the crowd starts. 

Everyone stands in their feet once more time and claps and cheers for him. 

He sees his wonderful mother smiling proudly. He can't wait to go off of this stage and go to hug his mother. He wants to repeat her again how much he appreciates his mother and how much he wants to thank her and be there for her always. 

He sees his incredible best friend, Eric, cheering at him. He can't wait to go off of this stage and go to his best friend and have Eric tease him or to laugh with Eric like they always do. 

And Otis sees his amazing girlfriend, who's he is totally and deeply in love with her, on her feet, clapping at him with a smile on her face and happy tears in her eyes. He wants to tell her again that he loves, again and again and again and never stop telling her. He wants to go to her and kiss her. He hardly would recognize himself from two years ago, wanting to show affection in public. He knows she feel exactly the same. They have made each other better, stronger. 

They were a unit. 

They took care of each other. 

They loved each other. 

"Thank you." Otis say, his voice cracking a bit from the emotions. 

He changes his weight on both of his feet as the public continues to clap and cheer. 

Otis takes a deep breath, smiling a little.

The headmaster once again gives him permission to continue with his last reflection, "Follow with your last poem, Otis."


	4. We Are Infinite

_Moordale, senior year, last days_

"Thank you." Otis says. 

The public stops clapping and cheering. 

He takes a deep breath, calming his racing heart, full of emotions: love, joy, wonderment, awe, surprise, excitement, wonder...

He tears off his eyes off of Maeve, trying himself to focus on reading his last reflection and not begin crying from emotion or going to her side to hug her. 

Then, he set his eyes for a second on his mother, Jean, and on his best friend, Eric, to recapture his strenght and good vibrations. 

Before he continues to read again, his eyes are once again only for who he is totally in love with, Maeve. And the look she's giving him is all. She looks divine. And she looks so in love with him. Otis smiles. 

"My last poem is called 'We are infinite'" Otis says. 

The audience in the room sit on their seat again.

Otis nods to himself and reads for the last time his last reflection. 

_"THEY ARE INFINITE_

_He believes himself nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and he had led a common life,_ guided by _ups and dows._

_There are no monuments dedicated to him and his name will be forgotten, only remembered by those who loved him._

_But in one respect he will have succeeded as gloriously: He has loved a woman with all his heart and soul; and to him, this has always been enough._

_In vain he has struggled._

_He will not do._

_It will not do._

_And his feelings will not be repressed._

_Not then, not now, not ever._

_She must allow him to tell her how ardently he admires her and supports her and loves her._

_And yes, he knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God._

_So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning-fork that had been struck upon a star._

_Then he kissed her._

_At his lips’ touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete._

_He cannot let her burn him up, nor can he resist her._

_No mere human can stand in a fire, in her fire, and not be consumed._

_And then he sweeps her hair back from her ears; he swings her above his head._

_He says she is his émerveillement._

_He says he will never leave her, not in a million years._

_And they have loved each other so long and so deeply he has never been a man and not loved her._

_They say love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous, love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense, and is not resentful._

_He feeds upon her face by day and night._

_And she with true kind eyes looks back on him, Fair as the moon and joyful as the light._

_She is a mortal danger to all men._

_She is beautiful without knowing it, and possesses charms that she’s not even aware of._

_She is like a trap set by nature - a sweet perfumed rose in whose petals Cupid lurks in ambush._

_Anyone who has seen her eyes has known beauty._

_Anyone who has seen her smile has known perfection._

_She instills grace in every common thing and divinity in every careless gesture._

_Venus in her shell was never so lovely, and Diana in the forest never so graceful as his Lady._

_Now, he's not going to deny that he was aware of her beauty._

_But the point is, this has nothing to do with her beauty._

_As he got to know her, he began to realise that beauty was just another of her qualities._

_So many of them._

_He became fascinated by her goodness._

_And by her strenght._

_And by her intelligence._

_He was drawn in by it all._

_And he didn’t understand what was happening to him._

_And it was only when he began to feel actual, physical pain every time she left the room that it finally dawned on him: He was in love, for the first time in his life._

_He knew it was hopeless, but that didn’t matter to him._

_And it’s not entirely that he wanted to have her._

_That he indeed wanted._

_But, All he wants is to deserve her._

_All this gladness in life, all honest pride in doing his work in the world, all this keen sense of being, he owes a part to her._

_And it doubles the gladness, it makes the pride glow, it sharpens the sense of existence till he hardly knows if it is pain or pleasure, to think that he owes this big part to her._

_And he, stepping forwards with stern determination - to one whom he loves, as much as a man ever loves a woman._

_And when he lost her, all hopes of eternity and all gain from the past he would have given to have her there, to be wrapped warm with him in one blanket, and sleep._

_It seemed the sleep with the woman of his dream in his arms was a necessity._

_Every atom of her flesh is as dear to him as his own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear._

_And she was more than human to him._

_She was a Queen, a Fairy, a Sylph, he didn't know what she was - anything that no one ever saw, and everything that everybody ever wanted._

_And he was swallowed up in an abyss of love in an instant._

_There was no pausing on the brink; no looking down, or looking back; he was gone in love, headlong, before he had sense to say a word to her._

_And then her love was entire as a child’s, and though warm as summer it was fresh as spring._

_He always stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking._

_Did his heart love till now?_

_Forswear it, sight!_

_For he never saw true beauty till that day._

_He wants her stalking beauty, her theatre of expressions._

_He wants the minute secret reflection between them, the depth of field minimal, their foreignness intimate like two pages of a closed book._

_Like the books she adores so much._

_So when he looks at her and she looks back at him, he thinks that they are, after all, infinite."_

Otis finished reading his last poem as he tried to catch his breath and calm the racing beating of his heart.

There was a moment of silence in which the shock of what happened was suspended. 

One shivering second of silence, the shock of the moment suspended: and then the tumult broke around Otis as the sclapping and the cheers and the roars of the audience rent the air.

He briefly heard the headmaster giving him "thank you" and allow him to go off of the stage. 

He descended the stairs a little unstable on his feet. 

He reached his mother next to the stage and throw himself in her arms. 

Jean hugged her son in his arms tight and she closed her eyes, whispering soft sweet things in his hair. 

Jakob next to Jean, gave Otis's shoulders a comforting pat as he smiled. 

Otis then pulled away from his mother and leaned into the trolley next to Jean and Jakob where his little baby brother was. 

Otis gently kissed his brother's forehead. His eyes, bright blue, looked at him and Otis felt his heart jump.

Then, Otis run to his best friend and hugged him. 

Eric hugged him back laughing. 

Otis couldn't hear what Eric told him but he continued to hug him with his eyes closed chuckling a little when he felt Eric's comforting pats in his back. 

And then, Otis continued walking down the room and he felt his body gave almost away at the close sign of Maeve. His other half. 

And when he reached where she was standing, her eyes glassy, her smile wide, her hands reaching for him, her love for him open, he didn't stop to think what he was doing. 

So he kissed her. 

Right there and then. 


	5. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maeve's poems: chapters 4-8.

_Moordale, senior year, last days_

Otis kissed Maeve. 

He loved her from the bottom oh his heart. Forever and always he will. 

He had fallen so hard for her, big time. He was so in love with her.

So it came out naturally. 

Otis kissed Maeve.

His arms wrapped around her.

And she, stunned, reacted out of pure instinct. She kissed him back and hugged him to her. 

When they pulled apart from their kiss, everyone was whistling and smiling. 

They both smiled widely. 

They appear to be in their own world. 

They didn't have time for anything else, because at that moment the headmaster called Maeve to go up on the stage to read her poems. 

At her walking throught the crowd, Aimee touched her arm, smirking at her. Maeve laughed as she shook her head at Aimee's look, raising playfully her eyebrows. 

Yes, Otis had kissed her right here and yes, she had kissed him back like the totally truly, deeply, madly in love girl she was with him. 

Steve, next to Aimee, winked at her, with a smile on his face as Maeve looked at them, still smiling.

Otis's kisses, well, his presence in general had that kind of effect on her. She felt so high with him. She was on such a high with him. She had never felt so happy as now, with him by her side.

Maeve loved Otis. 

She was so in love with him. 

She never thought she was going to fall this way for him. 

Before Otis, Maeve never experienced this.

She loved him so much and she knew he loved her so much, and their love was so special. 

Maeve felt there was a very deep love there, intense, and she was glad they have made it through so much and they can be here to tell it. 

And she had fallen so hard for Otis. Otis took care of her, Otis understood her, Otis appreciated for who she was and everything she was, Otis believed in her. 

And when they were united, together, it was one of the most wonderful, amazing, incredible, things she had ever experienced. 

She will love him eternally. 

Maeve, still with her heart wild beating from her kiss with Otis, went up the stage, her cheeks blushing. 

The headmaster gave a nod and Maeve nodded herself in return giving the headmaster her thanks. 

Once up in front of the audience, the microphone in front of her. 

She waits for the headmaster to give her the okay to continue.

"Hello. My name is Maeve. Uhhh...For my last final work for Literature class, I've written some poems. 4 poems to be exact. They are like reflections. They are very personal for me. I've been writing from a long time. Writing was like a kind of therapy for me. I just let it happen. I let the words write themselves. I was like the source from where the words came out. I enjoy writing. These are reflections I've learned, I've grown-up. I've become better, even more stronger. "

The crowd is listening to her. All eyes appear to be on her. 

Maeve gets nervous, she feels unsure. But then she remembers Otis, his kind smile, his beautiful eyes, his precious confidence in her and how much he helps her in believing in herself. 

She looks at him and she sees that Otis is sitting now in his seat and he is smiling at her and she can see his blue eyes sparkling at her. He raises his eyebrows a little to tell her "it's okay, you're great, I trust you, you can do this and more". 

Maeve takes a deep breath, nodding to herself. 

"My first poem is called "Trust".

Maeve bites her lips, reunites all her energy and puts her heart in reading her first poem. 

These works are so dear to her.

She has been writing for years. 

She had been through a lot and she was very sensitive with her writing. 

But she felt she was ready now to share it comfortably. 

Otis has helped her a lot with this. 

So Maeve reads her first poem. 

_"TRUST_

  
_As I was feeding squirrels in the park, I noticed a small one that didn't seem to trust me._

_While t_ h _e others came close enough to eat out of my hand, this one kept his distance._

 _I threw a peanut his_ _way._

_He edged up, grabbed it nervously, and ran off._

_Next time he must have felt less afraid,_ _because he came a little closer._

_The safer he felt, the more he trusted me._

_Finally he sat right at_ _my feet, as bold as any squirrel clamoring for the next peanut._

  
_Trust is like that -- it always seems to come down to trusting in yourself._

_Others can't overcome_ _fear for you; you have to do it on your own._

_It's hard, because fear and doubt hold on tight._

_We_ _are afraid of being rejected, of being hurt once more._

_So we keep a safe distance._

_We think s_ e _parating ourselves from others will protect us, but that doesn't work, either._

 _It leaves us f_ ee _ling alone and unloved._

_Trusting yourself begins by recognizing that it's okay to be afraid._

_Having fear is not the_ _problem, because everyone feels anxious and insecure sometimes._

 _The problem is not being_ _honest enough to admit your fear._

_Whenever I accept my own doubt and insecurity, I'm more."_

Maeve finishes reading. 

She is still nervous, her voice still cracks a little, but when she sees the people stand up, and she sees everyone clapping and cheering her, is such a great feeling. 

And she felt worthy. 

She sees Aimee clapping her hands above her head with enthusiasm as she praises Maeve. 

Aimee, sweet Aimee. Her best friend. Aimee, who had made her laugh and was with her in all good and bad moments. 

Steve, next to Aimee, is clapping too, with his permanent smile on his face. 

She sees then Otis's mother, Jean, and how she looks at her with such understanding and warm on her blue eyes for her. 

She feels so happy Jean accepted her the way she did. Jean always helped Maeve and was there whenever Maeve needed. Maeve thought Otis's mother was so sweet. She felt so lucky. 

She remembers all the times she had felt that Jean was such a huge support for Maeve, she could lean into her. And Otis was so happy she got along so well with his mother. 

And then Maeve sees Otis standing on his feet and clapping, and her heart burst with love. He is so beautiful. 

He is so beautiful. 

Otis is kind, and good, and loving, and gentle, and understanding, and caring, and smart, and he just gets her so well. 

They have found such a rare connection between them. 

Otis has such a wide big smile on his face as he is clapping his hands fast and his eyes appear to drag her to him. 

She feels she always wants to be with him, be a part with him. 

They have made each other better and she was eternally grateful for that. 

Her love for him was forever. 

She wants to go to him and push her head in the place of his chest she loves so much. 

She wants to go to him and press her ear to his chest to listen to the sound of his heart beating, calming her nerves. 

She wants to go to him and kiss him senseless. 

She wants to be wrapped in his arms as they make love. 

With Otis, she had found something she didn't thought she would ever find, she felt with him warm and safe. 

She felt at home. 


	6. Courage

_Moordale, Senior Year, last days_

Maeve smiles at the candid reaction of the audience, and specially of those she cared for the most.

"Thank you, really." Maeve says. 

"That was my first poem." Maeve makes a pause, "My second poem is called "Courage"".

She looks at the headmaster to wait for the approval and when it is given, she takes another deep breath. 

"Is, too, very personal to me." Maeve continues saying. 

Her heart is doing crazy things on her chest, beating against her ribs like a flying bird. 

She looks at the memorized face and blue piercing eyes of Otis in the distance. He is looking at her with a big genuine smile on his face and his expression is one of absolute adoration for her. Such love in his eyes and face she sometimes still got her breath caught in her throat. 

She loved him so damn much.

She feels her heart might burst from all the enormous love she feels for him. 

Her feelings for him were so strong, so powerful, so overwhelming. 

She loved how he would take care of her, always made sure he made her feel treasured. And what was even more wonderful is that he really meant it. She never felt so appreciated in her life. 

She smiles back at Otis, knowing he would understand. Sometimes, they even understand without words. 

Aimee catches her eye and she raises her eyebrows to her as she points at her. Maeve almost let out a little laugh. Oh, Aimee, her dear Aimee, how much she adores Aimee. 

Maeve is so grateful for Aimee. They have bound to each other in a friendship so great, so loving. They were always there for each other. Their friendship was about being friends for the rest of their lives.

Steve, next to Aimee, continues to smile at her and Maeve smiles back at him. He was great. 

Maeve then briefly turned her attention to Jean. Her unexpected support. Jean had been there for her many times needed a friend-mother figure. Otis's mother was truly awesome. Jakob was so good, too. And Otis's little brother, how adorable he was. She loved picking him up in her arms, and she loved Otis's worshipping look on her as she did so. 

She had not have luck in the family department, and she had suffered a lot for that. 

But, even though she couldn't truly replace the family she should have had, she felt like she belonged now to a new incredible family with these amazing people who Maeve loved dearly, and with all her heart. 

Repeating in her mind, Otis's words, his beautiful Otis, who Maeve was so in love with. 

Maeve didn't think she could possibly love anymore Otis. He meant everything to her. They had learned together, from each other, they had grown together in every way, they were better people now. 

They have been through so much and they were still here to tell their story. And she would always fight for it, she had learn it, because they, it, was worthy. Forever. 

"Okay. Here it is." Says Maeve, nodding. 

She reads it all. 

_"COURAGE_

  
_It's curious what takes courage and what doesn't._

_When I write my reflections_ _, I don't feel that I'm being brave._

_When I was living by myself alone, I didn't feel I was being brave._

_I was surviving._

_I had to to what I had to do._

_We are all still here, aren't w_ _e?_

 _It can take much more courage to express true_ _feelings to one person._

 _When I think of courage, I think of the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of_ _Oz._

_He was always running away from danger._

_He often cried and shook with fear._

_But he was_ _also sharing his real feelings with those he loved, even though he didn't always like those_ _feelings._

_That takes real courage, the courage to be intimate._

_Expressing your feelings is not the same as_ _falling apart in front of someone else -- it's being ac_ _cepting and true to your heart, whatever it_ _may say._

 _When you have the courage to be intimate, you know who you are, and you're willing_ _to let others see that._

_It's scary, because you feel so vulnerable, so open to rejection._

_But_ _without self-acceptance, the other kind of courage, the kind heroes show in movies, seems_ _hollow._

 _In spite of the risks, the courage to be honest and intimate opens the way to self-_ _discovery._

_It offers what we all want, the promise of love."_

Maeve finishes reading. 

She fears she is out of breath but she is glad to realize that she is much more confident than before. 

As soon as she finishes reading, the clapping and cheering of the audiciende breaks the air. 

Everyone stands up and the sound of the applause roars the room. 

But she only has eyes for Otis. Beautiful, kind, gentle, Otis.

Otis meant the world to Maeve.

No words could ever express it. 

Maeve is deeply in love with him. 

And that will never change. 

He looks adorable. His gorgeous hands are clapping for her and he is smiling. Big smiling. 

Maeve smiles back at him. A smile only reserved for him. 

She sees the audience and Maeve's eyes continue to look in her search. 

Oh how much she loved him. 

Her eyes reach the next people. 

For Aimee. Her best friend. Lovely, sweet, genuine, Aimee.

For Jean. Her unexpected support. Family. Shoulder to lean on.

Maeve grand the edges of the rostrum. 

And all of these people were clapping and cheering her, and their eyes were on Maeve. 

Otis's smile, bright and sincere.

Otis's eyes blue and soft and warm. The sky reflected in them.

She always loved to look into his eyes. 

It was like a painting. 

Maeve smiled. 

"Thank you very much." Maeve repeats again.

She doesn't know what else to add, a little overwhelmed, so she looks to the headmaster. 

"Continue, Maeve." The headmaster says.


	7. Love

_Moordale, last days senior year_

"Thank you." Maeve said to the headmaster. 

She bites her lip.

"My next poem is called "Love"". Maeve says. 

She had written about topics that were very important to her.

And that she had been thinking about them, learning, growing. 

Maeve has been writing about them.

Trust, Courage, Love...

She takes another deep breath, nodding to herself.

Then she reads her next reflection.

Maeve reads her third poem. 

_"LOVE_

  
_Love is a funny thing to describe._

_It's so easy to feel and yet so slippery to talk about._

_It's like a_ _bar of soap in the bathtub -- you have it in your hand until you hold on too tight._

_Some people spend their lives looking for love outside themselves._

_They think they have to_ _grasp it in order to have it._

_But loves slips away like that wet bar of soap._

_Holding on to love is not wrong, but you need to learn to hold it lightly, caressingly._

_Let it fly_ _when it wants._

_Love trancends all barriers._

_It heals the wounds of hate, prejuidices, intolerance and ignorance._

_We have to learn to love ourselves._

_We have to heal ourselves._

_And it's okay._

_Love, love, love._

_I learned love for the first time not so long ago._

_It appeared in the catching light of a sunlight._

_It was shown to me in the person that I, at first, didn't expect to._

_Slowly and then all of sudden._

_But what a luck._

_I was lucky._

_I am lucky._

_Love, easy and hard. But all in all, worthy._

_I've suffered for love, too._

_But love has given me so much joy._

_It brought me piece, warm, comfort._

_It gifted me someone who I belong with._

_It gave me true friendship._

_It conceded me familiy._

_It brought me strenght, growth._

_I struggled to talk about love but not anymore._

_I have trust, courage, strenght._

_And now I know better._

_I now understand better._

_Love, we should grasp while we can._

_Even if it's hard, we know it's worthy. Before it's too late._

_Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care; but for another gives its ease, and builds a Heaven in Hell’s despair._

_Love is a great beautifier._

_Love starts as a feeling, but to continue is a choice._

_And I find myself choosing you, more and more every day._

_When it's allowed to be free, love is what makes life alive, joyful, and new._

_I believe_ _love to be the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation._

 _It's_ _the juice and energy that motivates my life, my writing, everything._

 _As long as love is in my_ _heart, it's everywhere."_

Maeve finished reading her poem.

She closed her eyes, just in the very same second as the audience starts clapping, cheering, standing up. 

She smiled as she felt herself so emotional, so open, and yet safe and believing in herself. 

It was a good feeling. 

She had come a long, long way. 

She felt tears from relief or joy or amazement burning her throat. 

In a good way.

Maeve then opened her eyes and looked at Otis. She loved him so deeply. She loved him so hard. She loved him so damn much, and that will never change. She was so in love with him. And she knows that she will eternally be in love with him. They will always and forever be together. They belonged together. They were meant to be. Nothing will change it. They were lucky. To be able to love this way and they were lucky to be loved this way. They were grateful for their love. 

She wanted to get off of this stage and throw herself in Otis's arms, the safest and warmest place. Home. 

She felt with him at home. 

Because, sometimes, home isn't always a place, right?

Next Maeve looked at Aimee, her lovely, sweet, good, Aimee. They would keep their friendship all their lives. A true friendship. Aimee was a friend Maeve treasured so much. They will help each other all their lives. Their friendship meant so much to both of them.

And then was Jean, her new supportive older figure she never had. Jean has helped Maeve so much. She had been a shoulder to lean on. Jean was wonderful and Maeve felt lucky.

And then Steve, great, good, smiling Steve.

Then, to her delight, Maeve saw Miss Sands sitting in the first row of teachers, looking so proud of her. Miss Sands was smiling and Maeve smiled back at her. She was so nice. She had helped so much and Miss Sands had always encouraged her. 

What a day this is being.

What two years they had been!

"Thank you very much." Maeve said again. Her voice cracking from the emotion.

The audience seemed to enjoy her reaction and the applause got even bigger. The cheers from the crowd still going. 

Maeve smiling looked at the headmaster for permission to read her last reflection, her last poem. 

"Continue with your last poem, Maeve." The headmaster said. 


	8. Beyond

_Moordale, last days of senior year_

"Thank you." Maeve says.

"My next and last poem is called "Beyond". She says. 

She comes again near the microphone to read out loud her words and grabs it for support. 

She takes another deep breath. 

So she reads her last reflection. 

The last essay. 

_"BEYOND_

_Life can be beautiful but also can be easily destroyed._

_Hope is a beautiful word._

_But we have to be very careful with hopes._

_Sometimes hopes are concided and spoiled, without conscience._

_But hope, all in all, the last thing that we loose._

_While there is hope, their is life, there are possibilities and chances._

_There is still beyond._

_We come and we go in this world._

_And we are wondering._

_And she wonders if there's still something else beyond._

_Beyond these people, beyond these places, beyond day and night, beyond heaven and hell._

_Just take our hands._

_And we keep on dancing, and dancing, and dancing... Until there is only... The dance._

_She thought that love was something fictional, that she would never felt or experience, and it only to be found in warm pages of a book._

_But she was proved wrong._

_And her world changed._

_He understands her._

_He takes care of her._

_He loves her._

_He is home._

_They are in love._

_When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness._

_It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides._

_And when it subsides, you have to make a decision._

_You have to work out whether your roots are to become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part._

_Because this is what love is._

_Love is breathlessness, it is excitement, it is the desire to mate every second of the day._

_It is lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body._

_No ... don’t blush._

_I am telling you some truths._

_For that is just being in love._

_And when she and he are not good, they can’t sleep well, they can’t eat well, they can’t do anything but think about the other._

_Love, it doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? But it is._

_It really is._

_And he should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how. By her._

_And he is beutiful. So beautiful._

_And he is her heart, her life, her thought._

_We are asleep until we fall in love._

_At night she dreams of him, all day she waites to see him, and when she does see him her heart turns over and she thinks she will faint with love and desire._

_He is sunlight through a window, which she stands in, warmed. Her darling._

_Soul meets soul on lovers’ lips._

_One hour of right down love is worth an age of dully living on._

_Shakespeare would say Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love._

_She feels the same way._

_It is better to love wisely, no doubt: but to love foolishly is better than not to be able to love at all._

_She and him, it’s as though they have been taught to kiss in heaven and sent down to earth together, to see if they know what they were taught._

_She has waited for this opportunity for all the years she has lived, to repeat to him once again her vow of eternal fidelity and everlasting love._

_One of her favourite books said Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same._

_And she thinks the same of herself and him._

_It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; - it is disposition alone._

_Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others._

_For him and her it was enough little time._

_It has made her better loving him … it has made her wiser, and easier, and brighter._

_She used to want a great many things before, and to be angry that she did not have them._

_Theoretically, she was satisfied._

_She was surviving._

_She flattered herself that she had limited her wants._

_But she was subject to irritation; she used to have morbid sterile hateful fits of hunger, of desire._

_Now she really is satisfied, because she can’t think of anything better._

_She can't think of anything better than him and her new family. And her sense of belonging finally._

_Is better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all._

_He is her North, her South, her East and West, her working week and her Sunday rest._

_Her love is, their love is, like a red, red rose, That’s newly sprung in June._

_They loved with a love that was more than love._

_He is her first love, and he was there when he was the love that made all the other loves irrelevant._

_How does she love him?_

_Let her count the ways._

_She loves him to the depths and breadth and height her_ _soul can reach, when feeling out of sight for the ends of being and idea grace._

_The way her body existed only where he touched her. The rest of her was smoke._

_People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants._

_But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life._

_And the flavor of his kiss, stayed with her all the way back uptown, swaying and sleepy as she sailed home, melting with loveliness, a starry ache that lifted her up above the windswept city like a kite: her head in the rainclouds, her heart in the sky._

_Love and being in love can heal any damage inside of us._

_He took her hand._

_And they each other lead the other._

_They belong together._

_And they are home._

_And she loves him._

_And they are in love._

_They love each other, a very deep strong love there; intense._

_And their love matters._

_And she fell in love with him the way yo_ _u fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once._

_So when she smiles and writes she thinks that what she wants is to get excited with the truth._

_And to be able to interpret that truth so that those feelings and experiences, of despair or joy, fill her life in order to give it meaning._

_And in turn to achieve to move with it, she hopes, others too._

_This is the highest form of art._

_It is revealing moments like these that encourage her to continue living._

_So when she thinks of them both she smiles and says that they are always, forever and beyond."_

Maeve finishes reading her last poem. 

The audience of the room once again starts applauding and cheering for her. 

The roar of praise of the audience breaks the air. 

She almost misses the "thank you" the headmaster gives her. 

And Mss Sands smiles at her and Maeve returns the smile.

She feels so emotional and vulnerable after revealing such private feelings but she feels also safe. 

She wonders how her heart is able to feel all those emotions. 

But she feels good. 

She goes off of the stage. 

As she walks to her seat, Jean softly touches her shoulder smiling and Maeve turns to smile at her but she hardly can see her throught her blurry teary eyes. She returns the smile and Jean reaches for her hand and Maeve squeezing quickily because she has to follow her path down the room to her seat.

Next, is Aimee who, as Maeve walks by where her place is, she touches Maeve's arm squeezing to reassure her. Aimee says soft words of comfort and affection to her, and she can hardly listen to them but she is grateful. 

Steve is next to Aimee and he is smiling and saying something to her, but Maeve can't hear him over the sound of the applause and cheers of the audience, but she manages to smile at him to let him know she appreciates it. 

And when she reaches Otis's side and he has the biggest smile on his face, and his blue eyes are so bright, so blue and so beautiful, and his arms are reaching for her to hug her and he is telling her something but she is not able to listen at him but it is okay. She knows him. 

So she pulls herself in his arms, her head against his neck, her arms around his neck and he is there to catch her, as always. 

His smell calms her, her own racing heart beats relax as she feels the feeling of her solid chest against her. 

His arms wrap around her like a soft blanket. He is so beautiful.

Maeve looks him in the eye, not caring about all the eyes on them, and she hears Otis tell her "I love you, Maeve" and she instantaly tells him "I love you, Otis".

They were a perfect match. 


	9. An Ocean of Memories

**Summer, senior year**

The afternoon is getting late.

"This is me now!" Eric says as the group of people that is left arrive at Eric's house. 

Eric reaches and puts his arm around Otis's shoulders. 

"I'll talk to you tomorrow." Otis says with a smile. 

Otis pats his best friend's back, smiling. 

"Yeah, tomorrow.. Since you're gonna get busy tonight." Eric says, with a big smile on his face. 

Otis blushes and looks away. Aimee laughs and Maeve covers her mouth with her hand, smiling softly. 

"Eric!" Otis said, still red. 

"Okay! I'll see you tomorrow little people." Eric says smiling. 

"Good Eric." Otis says, laughing. 

Otis and Eric shake their hands smiling. 

"Bye." Maeve says, laughing amused. 

"See ya!" Aimee answers. 

Later, the small group of people that is left arrive at the next house. 

"See ya. Love you." Aimee told Maeve, giving her a hug.

Maeve hugged her best friend back, closing her eyes. 

They smile to each other one more time. Aimee then looked at Otis and raised her eyebrows giving him a little smile. Otis nodded awkwardly, on his lips playing a small smile. 

Then Aimee went inside her house, giving Otis and Maeve a look and a smile. 

The door closed behind her. 

Otis and Maeve hold hands as they walked back home. 

"Otis?" Maeve whispers. 

He looks down at her as they continue walking. 

"Yeah?" He asks her. 

"Thank you." She answers. Her voice is sweet in the warm air on the evening. 

"For what?" Otis questions surprised. 

Maeve smiles, leaning her weight a little on his body as they walk. 

"For existing." She replies simply. 

Otis feels a lump of feeling in his throat. He tries to say something back, anything to match her beautiful, perfect words, but he feels his heart beat wildly in his chest, a steady warm inside him. 

"I love you so much." Is all he can manages to say. 

He stops and places a soft kiss on the top of her head, pressing his lips on her hair. He feels her closing her hands on his arms, as she leans into him more. 

They continue walking, enjoying each other's company. 

The sky is painted in orange and pink, showing the sunset is coming soon. 

"You kissed me in front of everyone." Maeve tries to sound hard but fails and she ends up kissing his arm where she can reach. 

"Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I got carried away." He says, blushing lightly. 

"No, I liked it." She smiled.

He nodded smiling too.

"Because as I recall I did kissed you back. I wanted to kiss you too. " She continued.

"And I hardly recognize you tho." She answers, nuzzling her nose against his t shirt. 

"I'm a changed man. I hardly recognized myself either. Before you I was this sweet, innocent, guy..." He tells her. 

"Could have fool me..." She starts saying. 

He catches the meaning she's throwing and blushes again. 

"Maeve..." He says, turning read now. 

"I'm joking. I enjoy making you blush." She laughs. 

"This evening seems like we can't have a serious conversation." Otis laughs. 

"I think that's because I feel relaxed. I have the feeling that I've spent so much time in tension. And now I'm better. It's a nice feeling." She says. 

"You're wonderful and incredible." He tells her. He seems so open and so honest and his eyes are the color of the sky. And she can't help but lean into him even more, comfortable against the solid feeling of his body against her. 

Otis smiles and lowers his forehead against hers, closing his eyes for a moment. 

"I feel the luckiest lad on the world." He says. 

"I feel the same way too. We both are." She whispers truthful. 

They continue waking some more time. They can hear the birds, and the cars in the distance. 

"You're such a great writer, Maeve. I'm so proud of you. I want everybody to know your talent. You deserve it. And I'm glad I was part of your inspiration to write those." Otis spoke then, his voice like a song to her ears. 

She got her grip on his hand tightly. He got the message. It was amazing how they understood each other even without words. 

"I still can't believe how you wrote those reflections about us." She says. 

"And I enjoyed your poems, too." He chuckles. 

"Stop being lovable." She answers playfully. 

"I am this way." He answers smiling teasing. 

"Yes, you are." She answers now truthfully. 

He looks at her smiling, catching her serious tone. He raises their hands united, and he places a kiss on the back of her hand. His lips are soft and feel exquisite. She sees his eyes close when he kisses her skin. She feels her heart flutter. 

She looked at Otis as they walked. He looked at her at the same time. 

"Did you enjoy them, my poems?" He asked her. 

Maeve laughs, a free transparent laugh, like a waterfall. 

"Yes, they were awesome, and yes, I enjoyed them, as the rest of the audience did." She answered, trying not to smile. 

"None of them looked they were enjoying them as much as you did." Otis continued saying, enjoying how his teasing got her almost smiling. He felt proud. 

Maeve punched playfully on his shoulder as they walked. 

"Dickhead." She said, now fully smiling. 

"Beautiful." He shot back. 

She then looked into his eyes and her eyes were so full of love. 

Otis raised his eyebrows and smiled down at her. 

They continued walking for some time and they the bridge appeared right before them. 

They stopped at the begging of it. 

"Everytime I pass through this bridge I remember." Otis says. 

"Me too." Maeve whispers. 

"I'll never forget it, Maeve." He continued. "When we first kissed here, on this same bridge..." He said. 

"Me neither." She manages to say, overwhelmed by the memories. Because their road, hard and painful but also beautiful, and worthy, and high, and she remembers it all, and of course, their first kiss. 

"And back then, we were kissing and something exploded within my chest..." He whispers, his voice a throaty whisper.

"And collided, burning away the tension, the confusion and the fear... " She continued. 

"Burning away the hurt from earlier. For a moment it felt like nothing mattered anymore. Like nothing would matter ever again." He finishes. 

They lock eyes again. They are on the same bridge that were their first happened. The memories are an ocean that always brings back everything. 

_FLASHBACK_

_His heart beats faster and faster and faster as Maeve’s face came up to his own._

_And her heart is beating wildy doing crazy things inside her chest as Otis's face comes near her own._

_And he’s kissing her._

_Once, twice, until she's had a taste and realize she will never have enough. He’s everywhere up her back and over her arms and suddenly he’s kissing her harder, deeper, with a fervent urgent need she's never known before._

_Before she could withdraw her mind from its far places, his arms were around her, as sure and hard. She felt again the rush of helplessness, the sinking yielding, the surging tide of warmth that left her limp. And the quiet face of anyone else were blurred and drowned to nothingness._

_He bent back her head across his arm and kissed her, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made her cling to him as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world._

_His insistent mouth was parting her shaking lips, sending wild tremors along her nerves, evoking from her sensations she had never known she was capable of feeling._

_And before a swimming giddiness spun her round and round, she knew that she was kissing him back._

_And he turned around and found her face, and her mouth was already waiting like a question. And he's not gonna make it out to be something that it wasn’t: It was perfect—Maeve’s soft lips against the sweet taske on her tongue. She did more than just not stop him. She kissed him back._

_So when he finally kisses her mouth, everything goes oddly quiet, like the moment of silence between lightning and thunder. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi. Four Mississippi. Five Mississippi._

_Bang._

_They kiss again. The next kiss is the kind that breaks open the sky. It steals their breath and gives it back. It shows them that every other kiss they have had in their lifes has been wrong._

_And he remembers._

_She drew him toward her with her eyes, he inclined his face toward hers and lay his mouth on her mouth again, which was like a freshly split-open fig._

_For a long time he kissed her, and he was filled with deep astonishment as she taught him how wise she was, how she ruled him, put him off, lured him back... each one different from the other, still awaiting him. Breathing deeply, he remained standing and at this moment he was like a child astonished by the abundance of knowledge and things worth learning opening up before his eyes._

_And she remembers._

_What’s gotten into her? Now she really can’t breathe. A situation made worse by the lips that are suddenly pressing_ in _to hers._

_Their tongues have fallen madly in love and gotten married and moved to Paris._

_After she's sure she's made up for all her former years of meaningless kisses, she says “I think if we don’t stop kissing, the world is going to explode.”_

_“Seems like it,” he whispers._

BACK TO THE PRESENT 

They are kissing again. On the same bridge. The sunset above them. Their arms around each other. 

And when their lips pulled away, they don't still don't pull away from each other. 

"Where are we going now?" She whispers, still out of breath. 

"Home." He responds, with a smile. 


	10. home is where the heart is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: sexual content.

They arrived at his house. The night has already set in, early night, and there's a pleasant silent only broken by the sounds of crickets, or the wind in between the trees.

She has always loved Otis house. It brought her a sense of belonging. 

Otis unlocks the door and they enter Otis's house, holding hands and smiling. 

The house is empty. Otis turns on the lights of the living room and Maeve gulps down when she understands they are alone. 

"Your mom is out?" She asks him, her voice coming out higher than she intended. 

Otis looked at her as he chuckled, "Yeah, she is staying at Jakob's. With the baby. She told me to call them if we needed anything. She told me they will be back tomorrow." He said. 

"Right. Jean a visionary. " Maeve said lightly, looking at Otis as these sudden good nerves came to her. 

They both laughed at the implications they both knew the words had. 

Otis came to her and kissed her forehead, before nuzzling his nose against her temple. He kissed her forehead. 

"You wanna drink something? Eat something?" Otis asked her, always caring for her. 

He went into the kitchen and prepared her a glass of orange juice. 

"They say Vitamin C is good for the brain." Otis explained as he prepared it, his back to Maeve. 

Maeve came right where he was standing and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him from behind and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. Otis felt a rush of electricity run through his spine. He closed his eyes and leaned against her, taking her hand and guiding to his heart after kissing her knuckles lovingly. She rested her head against his back as she closed her eyes and relaxed. 

They drank and ate some sandwiches they found on the fridge. 

Maeve threw a small piece of bread to Otis which collapsed against his nose and he laughed. 

"Hey! You're gonna pay for that!" He playfully pretend he was angry. 

"Oh I sure hope so." She answered, trying her best not to reach out and kiss his nose. 

When they finished they sat back in the couch and they watched a movie. Maeve chose "Pride and Prejudice" the adaptation of 2005 and she enthusiastically explained every part of Darcy and Elizabeth dialogues to Otis, who looked at her with love and adoration in his eyes every time. She looked like a child, her face showing wonderment every time an emotional scene came, and he loved to see her talk so enthusiastic about things she loved. He liked how she mouthed Darcy and Elizabeth lines. 

During the movie, Maeve's head on his shoulder and his arm around her, hugging her to him, every now and then caressing her arm or placing a kiss on her head. Her arm hugged his belly and her hair tickled his neck. 

The credits appeared on the screen. 

"I need to get off my shoes." Maeve said, her feet hurting now. 

She was pouting at him and he couldn't help to place a soft short kiss on her lips. 

"Come" Otis said, smiling at her and taking her hand, guiding her to his bedroom. 

"My feet are killing me," Maeve groans, pulling her shoes off of her feet and tossing them aside. Otis eyes follow them and she can practically see the sarcastic comments forming behind that head of  
hair. "I'm going to put them away in a minute of course", she says, "I'm quite tidy you know".

"Thought so." He smiles and sits down next to her on her bed. "Come here." He gathers her ankles in his hands and she turns to face him as he rests her feet on his lap. His hands begin to rub her aching feet and she lays back on the mattress, trying to ignore the fact that she's had her feet stuck in those heels for hours.

  
"Thank you," she half moans. Her eyes want to close from the instant relaxation that comes from Otis's hands massaging her feet, but she wants to look at him, she wants to look at the way his eyes shine when she laughs, she wants to look at how he lowers his head with a smile when she compliments him. 

  
"No problem. I can deal with all of the rest just to see that relaxed dreamy look in your  
eyes." He says. She lifts his hand, swatting at the air and he laughs and continues to work their magic on her feet.

  
"Maeve, I loved the dress you wore, you are so beautiful, you looked absolutely beautiful, not that you not normally do... But you are stunning. It was driving me crazy watching you all day...I think pretty much everyone noticed it." He said, smiling at her.

  
She laughs, "thank you, Otis". She looks at him smiling, "I loved the suit you wore. Your hair is so lovely. And your eyes are fucking perfect. You're so handsome. I bet every girl was wet thinking about of what has become the famous sex kid", she said as a joke with a smirk, but she couldn't hide her jealous tone. 

"I only have eyes for you, my love." Otis answered quickly with a light but strong tone. 

Maeve smiled. 

"Why? Are you?" He asked her then, his voice deep and low.

"What?" Maeve questioned. 

"You know...What you said..." He continued. 

Maeve fights back another smile. His sometimes shyness after all they had done. She thought it was sexy. He was sexy. 

"Wet?" She follows him. She never been shy to say dirty words anyway.

He nods, his eyes catching the soft light of the bedroom like jewelry. 

"Maybe" she answers, her voice and eyebrows raising in intensity, with a quite laugh.

She hears him gasp but she has closed his eyes enjoying their little game. 

His hands move to her calves and up to her thighs, she doesn't bother to stop the noises falling from her lips, she thinks it's just so relaxing and calming to have him touching her, working the sore muscles on her body.

  
"Come sit in front of me," he instructs, gently pushing her feet from his lap. She sits up, climbing over his lap and sit in between his legs. His hands grip her shoulders first, pressing his fingertips into the tense muscles and rubbing every ounce of tension out of them.

  
"If you weren't wearing the dress, this would feel much better." Otis comments.

She laughs for a moment, but she's silenced by the memory of him teasing her before.

Leaning forward, she reaches for the straps and the bottom of her dress and she hears  
the gasp from Otis as she pulls it off of her, up and over her head.

  
"What? It was your idea." She reminds him, leaning back against him. His hands are rougher now, pushing into her skin with purpose and her head falls back against his chest.

  
He mumbles something under his breath and she mentally pats herself on the back.

  
"This is new," Otis's finger pushes under the strap of her little bra. He lifts the strap and drops it back down.

She doesn't speak, she only scoots back slightly, pressing her back against his open legs. He groans, wrapping the span of his hand around the base of her neck, his fingers gently rubbing over the bottom of her jaw and back down to the delicate skin under her ear.

  
"Feels good?" He asks, knowing the answer.

  
"Mhmm," is the only coherent sound that she can muster. When he chuckles, she pushes further into him, essentially rubbing her body against his crotch and she brings her hand up to the strap of her bra and slide it down her chest and breast.

  
His hand tightens on her throat, "No teasing," he warns, pushing the holder back up with the hand that was working on her shoulders.

  
"Says the master of the art," she complains and pushes the strap of her bra down again.

Sitting shirtless in front of him, removing her kind of bra while his hand is still holding her  
in place is making her crazy. She's worked up and Otis is amplifying her hormones by panting and rubbing himself against her.

  
"No teasing," She mocks his words. She doesn't have the chance to get a laugh in at his expense before he puts his hands on her shoulders and turns her head toward him.

  
"You're pushing every ounce of my self-control, Maeve." He harshly whispers, just above her lips. She makes the first move, pressing her mouth to his.

When they kiss, she doesn't know why but she's reminded of the first time they kissed.

  
"And?" She gapes, thanking the stars to have him still with her, despite everything they have been through. 

  
He's not the same person he was a year ago, two years ago. He is stronger now. More confident. Better. He's the same Otis that she loves, but he's much stronger now. She is not the same person she was one, two years ago. She herself is much more stronger, much more open, also better. 

"And I love you" He answers her, his voice now more deep and she can hear the passion in his voice. Their fire, their conexion.

Their eyes met and they stare at each other's eyes. No words needed. Their love was there, clear and open for the other to see. 

  
"I hadn't noticed how golden your eyes are," he said to her the first time they kissed. That first time, when they couldn't stop themselves from kissing. She remembers how his mouth tasted like mint and his tongue was warm against her mouth. It felt so good and she loved it and will always  
do. He makes her feel so good and she wants to be with him at anytime. She's happy with him and she wants him to see how she wants him, how happy he makes her, how she needs him.

  
They kiss again. Soul meets soul. 

  
She climbs on Otis's lap now, the same way she has done multiple times, and his hands grip her waist, pushing her gently to move along his body when he lays down on the bed.

"Maeve," he moans, just like in her memory. It's music to her ears. It fuels her further, pushes her deeper into the overwhelming passione between them. She's lost there and she sure as hell doesn't want to find her way out.

Her thighs straddle his torso and her hands dig into his hair. She's needy, and frantic and rushed and all she can think about is the way his fingers are running, so gently, down her spine.

Her heart is beating so fast at the prospect of being with him again. It always feels the same way. She can feel his solid chest against her skin.

It all feels so right. He feels so right. 

Being with him everytime is always perfect, because he is the one, just like she is the one for him. 


	11. where he ends and where she begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: explicit sexual content.

Otis tries to catch his breath as Maeve's lips kiss his neck, placing butterflies kisses along his skin.

His heart is bursting inside his chest and he hugs her to him.

He wanted to give her a present that he got for her, but since they initiated this he guessed it could wait. 

His entire plan is shot to hell now. There's no damn way he is going to stop her, he should have known he didn't have a chance.

He loves her, he has loved her for what feels like his entire life, and he has missed being with her in this way.

Maeve had been writing her poems and reflections and she said she wanted to be alone while she wrote her words, a way of expressing herself better, and he, of course, had been supportive, keeping themselves apart for the days of the process. Maeve always had a determinate way of work, and she had to let her creativity grow and fly, and sometimes she still didn't trust herself to share things before she ended them, even though she had gotten much better in her confidence thanks to Otis. But she was a perfectionist when it came to her writings. 

So he has missed the sexy as hell noises that fall from those lips. He has missed the way she moves her full hips, sliding them across him, getting him so fucking hard that all he can think of is loving her, showing her how fucking good she makes him feel both emotionally and physically.

They kiss again. Passion overwhelmed them. 

"I crave you every second of every fucking day." He says into her open mouth. Her tongue swipes across his and he wraps his lips around it, playfully sucking on her tongue.

Her breath catches and her hands reach for his blazer tossing it aside and then for the bottom of his shirt and she unbottons it and pushes it up to his arms. He sits up, bringing her half dressed body with his, and make it easier for her to lift the shirt off of him.

"I want you so much." Maeve tells him. 

  
"These past days when we have been writing, you have no idea how many times I've thought of you, how many times I've stroked myself, remembering the way your hands feel on me, the way your hot mouth felt on me, the way your gorgeous lips felt on me." He says, his voice so deep and raspy.

  
"Oh god," her moan only spurs his words.

  
"You've missed this haven't you? The way my words make you feel, the way they make you inside?" He growls.

  
She nods and moans again when his tongue moves down her neck, slowly kissing and sucking at the skin. He has missed this feeling so much, the way she can completely and entirely take him over, take him under, and pull him back to the surface with her touch.

  
He wraps his arms around her waist and turn their bodies so he can lay her underneath him. His fingers have her dress down and his hands have her dress pushed down to her ankles within seconds. Maeve grows impatient and kicks her feet, tossing the dress to the floor.

  
"Take yours off," she orders, her cheeks are flushed, her hands are shaking, resting on the bottom of his back. He loves her, he fucking loves her and the way she still loves him after all this time.

Their mouths meet again and it's heaven. 

  
He thinks that they are truly fucking inevitable, even time cannot come between them. 

"You're so beautiful." He whispers to just above her lips. 

"As you are." She answers. 

Straight to his heart. 

  
He does as he's told, taking his pants and bowers off, and climb back on top of her, taking her panties off while she arches her back to unsnap her bra.

  
"Fuck," He admires the way her hips curve and her thighs just fucking scream to be grasped by his hands. He does just that, and she stares at him with those fucking brown eyes that got him through hours of bullshit with doctors.

Yes, because they helped each other. They wet there for each other. Supportive, loving. 

  
"Please Otis," Maeve whines, lifting her ass off of the mattress.

"I know baby,". He calls her. He can't help it. He brings his fingers to the apex of her thighs and rubs his index finger over her,  
collecting the wetness there. His cock twitches and she sighs, wanting more relief.

He pushes a finger inside of her and use his thumb to brush across her clit, making her writhe underneath him and causing the sexiest fucking noise he's ever heard when he adds another finger inside of her.

Fuck, he thinks.  
Fuck, his mind repeats.

"So good," she gasps, her fingers gripping at the printed sheets on the big bed.

  
"Yeah?" he urges her, moving his thumb faster over the spot that drives her fucking crazy. She nods frantically and her hand moves to his cock, sliding up and down in a slow but tight motion.

"You make me feel so good, Otis." Maeve says, her eyes like soft honey. 

  
"I wanted to taste you, it's been a while, but if I don't get myself in you right now, I'll come all over the sheets." He says, his voice deep and raspy.

Her eyes widen further and he gives a few more pumps of his fingers inside of her before aligning his body with hers. She is still gripping him, guiding his cock into her, and her eyes close as he fills her.

  
"I love you, I fucking love you so damn much." He tells her and lean down on his elbows, pressing in and pulling out, pressing in and pulling out.

She claws at his back with one hand and wraps her fingers into his hair. She pulls at it when he shifts his hips, spreading her thighs further apart.

They kiss over and over again. Their kiss doesn't end before another kiss starts again. 

Their mouths open when he is inside of her and she wraps him in her warm, and they kiss, and their chests press together. 

  
He thinks that after months of time improving himself and she herself seeing the brighter side to life and shit, it feels so fucking good to be with her. Still be with her. He thinks that many of his life revolves around this woman and some people may say it's absurd or crazy. 

But he thinks that he doesn't give a flying fuck, not a single fucking one. He knows that he loves her and she is everything to him. And he knows that she loves him. He thinks that if anyone has shit to say, they can take their judgmental bullshit elsewhere because no one is fucking perfect, and Maeve brings him as close to perfect as he will ever be. 

And he know she thinks the same. Otis brings her as close to perfect as she will ever be. 

That's what they do. They save each other. 

  
"I love you Otis, I always have." Her words make him pause, and another piece of him is glued back in place.

Maeve is everything to him, meaning his other half, meaning the love of his life, and hearing her say this, time after time, still leaves him speechless, and the way her face looks when he looks down at her, is everything to him.

  
"You had to know that I would always love you, you made me.. me, Maeve and I will never forget that", he enters her again, hoping that he doesn't end up crying while getting her off.

"You made me.. me, too." She concurs, smiling up at him.

  
"Leave it to us to have a sentimental conversation at times like this," he teases, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Then again, what better time is there for this type of conversation." He continues. He kisses her smiling lips and she wraps her thighs around his waist.

  
He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began.

  
She felt now the way her body existed only where he touched her. The rest of her was smoke.

  
He's getting close now, his spine is tingling and he can feel himself getting closer and closer to coming as her breaths get deeper, quicker, and she tightens her thighs.

  
Something slips throught their minds, and they moan and pant.

  
"Maeve, I'm going to...come...Do you want me to come inside you?...I mean..." He breathes, his mind vaguely able to form the words.

  
"Otis, yes, I'm okay, come inside me...I wanna feel you, please, yes", she answers, reading his mind, like always, and she's gasping for air.

His eyes roll back and he hears himself telling her dirty words. She transforms him, is the thought he thinks before the dirty words are slipping of his mouth. 

  
"You're going to come," he pants in her ear. Her fingers tug at his hair, sending him to the very edge. "You're going to come now, with me, and I'm going to fill you," He promises, knowing how much she loves his dirty mouth.

With Maeve calling his name, she comes around him. He joins her and, as every time, he believes it's the most relieving, fucking borderline magical feeling in the entire fucking world.

  
His whole body is trembling and her body is shaking too.

  
Their releases so powerful in so many levels.

  
"Stay inside me Otis, just stay in here..." she whispers to him, kissing his cheek.

  
"Okay Maeve..." he kisses her eyes, lips, chin and nuzzles her neck and he thinks there's nothing he would want more than to stay inside her always.

  
Some moments pass and they smile to each other, kissing each other and caressing their skins.

  
"You know," he begins, as he rolls off of her and lay next to her, "thank my mother wasn't home, if she was I would have been so embarrassed" he chuckles. 

  
"Hush," she scrunches her nose smiling. "You're ruining the moment, dickhead."

  
He laughs, "As hard as you just came, I doubt that there is anything that could ruin your moment." 

  
"Our moment," she mocks him, grinning like the stunning woman she is with her eyes firmly closed.

  
She rolls over, her tits right in his damn face and it takes everything in him not to lean over and lick them. She couldn't blame him really, he thinks. He feels himself burning inside. And his hot thoughts make him blush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Aclaration: Maeve is taking the pill - in case anyone didn't understand it).


End file.
